Illusion of Depth

While researching for my dissertation I looked into the history of how artist perceived depth. 

Artists have been experimenting with how to create the illusion of depth and in 1692 French painter Gois-Clair discovered he could achieve this by painting two images then using a grid of vertical laths between viewer and painting. When viewing one of his paintings from the left side and right the viewer would see the two images. When viewed straight on the images merge. This new method was later called Lenticular. Lenticular refers to the plastic lens material used and had a major impact on how 3d is was viewed on larger screens.

 During the Renaissance, the period of “scientific and cultural re-birth”, scientists and scholars began engaging in different kinds of experiments such as foreshortening and Linear perspectives.

 

Linear perspective is a mathematical system that creates the illusion of space and distance on a flat surface. It was first discovered in the 1400s by the artist and architect Filippo Brunelleschi. He suggested a system that explained how shrink in size according to their position and the distance object from the eyes.

 

 Example of how Artist Leonardo Di Vinci used Linear Perspective

The Renaissance had a huge impact on how artists developed and used techniques such as linear perspective, shade, light and foreshortening.

 

 Andrea Mantegna, Dead Christ Example of Foreshortening

Artist began to think of paintings were like looking through a window. The mathematical solution known as Linear Perspective helped painters achieve their goal in creating realism.